Just About Everyone Should Deadlift. 

I mean, they’re pretty much the epitome of a “functional” exercise.

Like, ya kinda gotta pick stuff up off the ground.

But deadlifts with the straight bar can be the DEVIL.

Yes, IF you do them with correct technique you’ll be ok.

IF you have proper:

• Mobility
• Bracing
• Muscle activation
• Strength
• TECHNIQUE

You’ll be ok.

But what happens when you don’t have perfect technique, like when you’re not qualified to do the lift or fatigue sets in?

Truth is, there is a HIGH possibility of:

Bad SH@T Happening

And unlike some other lifts, when Bad Sh@t Happens in the straight bar deadlift there typically isn’t a lot of “Physiological Buffer Zone” 

That space between being ok and being injured.  <—-cause injuries tend not to “just happen”

Reality Check:

For most of my clients, the straight bar deadlift is a high risk, relatively low reward exercise.

But there are LOTS of other deadlift variations that I still use like:

• Trap bar Deadlifts
• Romanian Deadlifts
• Kettlebell Deadlifts
• Band Deadlifts
• Good Mornings <—-they’re basically a deadlift in about 9/10 ways. 

and my favorite, the Single Leg Deadlift.

But here’s the thing, sometimes the Single Leg Deadlift looks more like a sobriety test. <—–I stole that line from Ben Bruno, he’s like a Jedi master of using the angled barbell

Eventually, just about everyone, can get them mostly correct.

But it can take a while…a long while.

Enter The Angled Barbell Single Leg Deadlift:

Yes, in a perfect world, my hips and shoulders would be perfectly square to each other, but alas, I’m cheap and just jam the bar in the corner of my rack. 

That causes the arc of the bar to be somewhat different than on a landmine.

This variation increases the learning curve EXPONENTIALLY  in most cases.

The bar in the corner or using the landmine seems to make the weight MUCH more stable and allows the lifter to concentrate on getting the pattern right more so than fall over.

Plus, after just a little bit of getting the movement down, you can LOAD THEM UP.

Checklist:

• Get TIGHT though the WHOLE body.
  • Weighted shoulder in the joint (lat and shoulder tight and active the whole time)
  • Off side leg straight and GLUTE ON HARD the whole time.
• Unload the leg that will be going back.
  • RDL’s (not coming fully back to the start position) try NOT to load the “off” leg
  • Deadlifts (starting each rep with both feet on the floor) finish on two feet, but don’t “unload” before the hip finishes the lift. Before the start of each rep “unload” the non-working led to about only 20% of the weight before the lift.
• Make sure you LOAD and USE the glutes to FINISH the lift.
  • Stand on a hard glute at the top
  • Never lean/ arch back to finish the lift.

Please Don’t Look Like This:

BIG BUT(T)

Yeah, do em right and you’ll get ya one..

But for realzz, you’re going to want to invest in some lifting straps to help hold on to the bar.

Since you’re holding the sleeve of the bar (its thick and smooth) if you have anything less than Bigfoot hands or you’re using any applicable weights, you’re going to need some help.